Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It was another successful Halloween Season on NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio. We didn't quite equal last year's numbers, but with huge stations like Pandora, 1fm & Last.fm getting into the Halloween act, we held our own. Thanks to everyone who tuned into the three stations of The NeverEndingWonder Halloween Radio Empire during October, 2008! I made many new friends and had a wonderful time chatting with Halloween fanatics in the temporary NeverEndingWonder Chat Room. Our new feature "The Voices of Halloween was also a great hit, and I hope next year I can add many voices. Looking forward to next year already! And BTW, Halloween fans- Welcome to Weirdsville will remain on the air for a couple more months- so tune in here:

And, now that Halloween is over, and we've returned to our regularly irregular programming, the droves of listeners have disappeared! Who'd have guessed it! Don't worry though, faithful listeners, there's plenty of NEW CONTENT on NeverEndingWonder Radio to surprise & amaze you! I was looking through my archives for something rocking and upbeat, because I was thinking the mix was becoming a bit staid. However, I came across a couple albums by two of the best finger picking guitarists to ever live, and I thought- I really can't pass this up, and it's Fall... Winter coming soon... people will be settling down to long hours inside... a more contemplative mood will prevail... so I said WTH- I'll add these gems by Leo Kottke and John Fahey:

Leo Kottke - My Feet are Smiling

Leo Kottke - Circle Round the Sun

John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death

John Fahey - Voice of the TurtleThese four albums together are some of the best work by two of the best finger picking guitarists to ever record music. Both were iconoclastic artists who cared little for public recognition or popular taste. They both epitomise pure artistry. I'm glad to share them with you.

More recent additions:

The Matthew Show - FebruaryThis new offering from The Matthew Show is my favorite from them. Combining recordings of five individuals musing on their lives with songs, The Matthew Show creates a theme album with an ambitious premise and pulls it off with great insight, humor and poignancy. The music lives up to the promise as well. The Matthew Show Website

Les Fradkin - Reality: A Rock OperaSynth-guitar virtuoso Les Fradkin tries his hand at crafting an album full of social importance.Les Fradkin Website

Lucibel Crater - The Family AlbumAmericana with depth and variety. One track features Lou Reed!Lucibel Crater Website

Life in a Blender - The Heart is a Small Balloon &Life in a Blender - Tell Me I'm PrettyThis band sent me a song- Dead Get Down- they thought might make a great Halloween song. It did. I asked liked their music so much I asked them to send me a CD. They sent two. You're lucky they did! Combining unusual instrumentation - violin, cello, marimba, Hammond B3, trumpet and trombone- with a quirky enthusiasm for music, the result is an off-beat sensibility that's complex and catchy. Life in a Blender Website

The CollectorsOriginally known as The Classics, CFUN Classics or The Canadian Classics, this 60s Canadian psychedelic band is a great example of a long gone era.

The Copulation CompilationMore diry songs! Some familiar names here- Kip Adotta's "Wet Dream" and a song by Red Peters, but there's plenty of obscure bits of filthy songwriting as well. You can't go wrong with ... well... you know...

Tony Schwartz - The New York Taxi DriverThere was a time in the 40s-60s when home tape recorders were becoming popular, that field recordings were quite the rage. All manner of musical offerings were recorded in the field, leading to the discobery of such gems as Moondog and Joseph Spence. Music wasn't the only thing recorded in the field, however, EVERYTHING was. Industrial factory noise, city street noises, barnyard animals, bird songs and PEOPLE. Peopl talking. Pepl talking about anything. The bet remembered of these was Tony Schwartz's The New York Taxi Driver - recordings of conversations he had with cabbies as he rode in their taxis.

Lorie Line - StorylineNew Age piantist's second album rounds out our contemplative, reflective offerings this round.

Of course, we never rest, here at NeverEndingWonder Radio! I just got four CDs in the mail today. Please leave your comments and tune in here: